Video Games

Most adolescent males would say that they love video games. I am among those males that would generally say this, but the other day, when working on some homework and thinking about life, I came to a different conclusion.

While working on homework, my brother was playing one of his favorite PS2 games. Frequently being distracted by his game I was not able to fully give my attention to my homework. However frustrating this was for me, because of how little of progress I was making, I kept dividing my focus between the two.

Then I thought of what my grades might be like if instead of playing video games, studied for classes or did my homework. I also thought of all the books I could have read, all the knowledge I could have possessed, but missed out and spent that time playing a game that doesn’t and isn’t real. Believe me I’ve asked myself why I waste my life away, in front of a TV in an imaginary world that’s impact is not felt in reality.

I wanted the time back. Some games record how much time you’ve played on it. I’ve come to hate it; it only reminds me of how much time I threw away to the game.

I feel it is a prescription drug to the adolescent male. If used appropriately it can be beneficial. For example occasionally playing a friendly game with a couple of friends can be fun and entertaining, while building friendships it is productive and possibly healthy to a male of that age. But if you overdose, it can corrupt and destroy your life. It will control your moods, content when you win or beat the game, but aggressive and quick to become angry after a frustrating defeat by the video game.

Even now as I blog my brothers are being consumed by the screen that portrays their digital character, fighting off the bad guys. If one has immersed themselves in video games their whole lives, at the end of their life they will undoubtedly wonder, “What have I accomplished?” This could be many great things, but the excessive time used on that game could have been used to impact someone’s life for the better or do something study harder and get into a better college.

I have spoken to many older people who all agree that it was just last year when they were in high school. All of them wish they could return to take that opportunity that they had let pass to affect someone for the better.